THE DELI

On July 19th, Wilder Maker will be taking the stage at Baby’s All Right to celebrate their 7” release, New Streets, with special guests Wilsen and Star Rover. Unveiled back in April, the single features an elegant and silky smooth combination of alt pop, folk, and jazz. Katie Von Schleicher’s serene vocals recollect a fun day with friends strolling through Brooklyn, going to parties – and even taking shrooms. The track combines clean and sophisticated chord progressions from Gabriel Birnbaum (also involved in the songwriting) with a sensual incorporation of a tenor sax solo that builds towards an exuberant finale. Check out a live in studio version of the song, below (courtesy thrdcoast.com) and also the other noteworthy single ‘Only Child,’ streaming underneath. – Pearse Devlin

Steep Ravine is a folky rock ‘n roll band steeped in bluegrass traditions from the Bay Area of San Francisco. Guitarist and lead vocalist Simon Linsteadt and violinist/vocalist Jan Purat met in high school and linked up with bassist Alex Bice while studying in Santa Cruz. They released their third full length LP, Turning Of The Fall, earlier this spring, complete with a full West Coast tour that just wrapped. On Saturday, July 22, catch a special and intimate one-off performance at the infamous Santa Cruz hotspot, The Crepe Place.

– Joshua Huver

Like flying over a futuristic city on a sunny day, Jay Pray’s new self-titled album has a technological feel to it, but it’s never a cold one. In a way it’s a little like the sci-fi movies produced in the ’50s and ’60s: free from cynicism, technology was portraid as an exciting and benevolent force. This is captured best on "Time" (streaming), where Pray’s smooth, soulful vocals glide over the track’s glittery and at times groovy instrumental. He’s also not afraid to slow things down, like on "I’m Sorry," where both Pray’s vocals and the arrangements get a shade bluer. On these tracks and the rest of his LP, Pray has exhibited a knack for catchy songwriting that doesn’t pull any emotional punches. You catch him live at Lantern Hall on 07/13. —Henry Solotaroff-Webber

 Deli Austin scene Artists of the Month Glaze have earned this distinction largely on the basis of their recently released EP “Wasted Mind” (streaming in full below).  Combining lively three-piece alternative rock interplay with explosive dreamgaze elements, the four songs make for a compelling listen.  Lead track “No Surprises” features open note arpeggio guitar chords with matched bass figures propelled along by quick pattern high-hat and snare percussion.  Shredding washes of distorted guitar erupt over frenetic drumming as affecting melodies emerges via dramatic background vocals and extended guitar tones.  “Who Can Say” (which contains the EP title lyric) follows with a similar lead in structure while coming at an even quicker pace.  Along with effective quick-stop staccato breaks, there is an overwhelming romantic feel not unlike the gone (but not forgotten) Depreciation Guild (minus that bands chiptune/8 bit music underpinnings). “Mercury” adds a dreamier shimmer while advocating a desire to throw off the “nostalgia” and be “ready to be someone new.”  Final cut “Chow Mein” shifts the mood away from sentimental longings opting for the quiet-to-loud musings of “Surfer Rosa” era Pixies. – Dave Cromwell

Cold Beat will be reaching the end of their Cali-based tour this month after a San Fransisco show on August 15. The band will perform their latest work, Chaos By Invitation, an album released this past April that sounds like a combination of modern day electropop and post-punk. The album creats this sonic concoction in an interesting way, with basslines and electronic pianos constructed in a post-punk style, but delivered in a modern electronic and pop manner. This mix of celestial and punching electronic pianos gives the 80s-influenced project quite the contemporary feel. Check out the track "62 Moons", a track that does just this (and is also at times reminiscent of dreampop band Beach House), below. – Pearse Devlin